ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · roll · field · rash · wave · pit · ruler · cold

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pit — a hole
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rash — a series
  11. cold — not warm
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — for sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. field — farmland
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com